The present invention relates generally to computer systems, and, in particular, to systems, methods, and computer program products for automatically triggering operations on a queue pair.
I/O adapters, such as remote direct memory access (RDMA)-capable adapters, define queue pairs (QPs) for conveying messaging information from a software consumer to the adapter prior to transmission over a network fabric. Industry standards, such as the InfiniBand™ Architecture Specification available from the InfiniBand® Trade Association and iWarp from the RDMA Consortium, specify that the message information carried on QPs is in the form of a work queue element (WQE) that carries control information pertaining to the message. Also, one or more data descriptors point to the message data to be transmitted or the location at which received messages are to be placed.
Some QP applications have a need to reduce the latency incurred dining data transfer operations. QP applications can involve a series of transactions, where one operation leads to a cascade of operations across multiple QPs. Delays are typically associated with software processing the completion of one operation in order to initiate a dependent operation. There is a need for a mechanism to enhance the standard QP semantics so that the lower latencies required by these applications can be achieved with minimal software intervention.